Fuel Homeostasis in Exercise

SKELETAL muscle constitutes 40 per cent of body weight in normal human beings and accounts for 35 to 40 per cent of total oxygen consumption in the resting state. During exercise, consumption of oxygen and metabolic fuels increases markedly to provide the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) necessary for the contractile process. The purpose of this communication is to review the patterns of fuel utilization and production during exercise. Emphasis will be placed on glucose homeostasis and the hormonal factors that contribute to its regulation. The studies reviewed from our laboratories are of the interorgan exchange of substrates in subjects examined in . . .